Panorama route in the Basel Jura plateau to castles and gardens

In Dornach we start our route with a visit to the Goetheanum – a distinctive building designed by Rudolf Steiner as the seat of the General Anthroposophical Society. On the ascent to Schartenfluh, we pass the impressive Dorneck castle ruins. From the Gempen tower, we then enjoy a wide panorama over the Basel region and the surrounding castle ruins.

Our hike continues through the Jura plateau to the Alt-Schauenburg ruins and the Schauenburgerfluh, where the remains of a Celtic-Roman hill sanctuary have been restored. Over the Hohe Bannstein on the cantonal border between Basel-Landschaft and Solothurn, we reach Reichenstein castle, which owes its name to the wealth of the Reich family.

In Arlesheim, we are awaited by the Ermitage – the largest and most beautiful English landscape garden in Switzerland. This romantic complex with walking paths and viewpoints was created before the French Revolution. The then already dilapidated Birseck Castle and its castle hill were redesigned with grottos and ponds and served as a model for numerous similar parks throughout Europe.

The cathedral is considered a landmark of Arlesheim; after the Reformation from 1679 to 1792, it was the seat of the cathedral chapter of the Diocese of Basel. Inside is the last Silbermann organ preserved in Switzerland from the year 1761.

Original of the route: www.schwarzwaldverein-tourenportal.de/r/808438958